NEW ORLEANS — Things got heated at the City Council meeting tonight as Gordon Plaza residents fought for answers on when they will get their money.
The $35 Million Settlement awarded to Gordon Plaza residents, who were living on a toxic waste dump since the ’70s, was approved months ago. Yet residents still don’t know when they’ll get their money.
“The opinion that you sent us, who came up with this opinion, the opinion regarding the real estate appraisers… the city attorney’s office… I want to harken you back to June, where councilman Harris and I both said hire real estate appraisers, who don’t need real estate attorneys,” Councilman JP Morell said.
Residents called for transparency, so they know how much and when they’ll get their owed payout. The biggest contention during Tuesday's meeting appears to be over whether residents will get the "fair market" value of their homes or the value they would sell for on the open market.
Residents said their homes are essentially worthless since they were built on a toxic dump, and they need more than "fair market value" to relocate.
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"Give us our check next week with the formula we presented to you all we tired, just like you Oliver, we tired,” one resident said.
As tensions escalated between the council and residents, things got heated between councilman Thomas and Morell. At the end of the meeting, the council said attorneys and appraisers need to provide the 'methodology' for evaluating how much each homeowner should get by the end of the night.